The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-02-12
TIE NEW ORLEANS, NATCHEZ AND
FORT SCOTT RAILROAD.
rNew Orleans Picayune. !

NEW Orleans Picayune.l
The following communication from
the President of the New Orleans,
Natchez and Fort Scott (ISsnsas) Rail-.
road Is Of sufficient interest aud impor.
tance to commend itself to tho people
Of Louisiana. The line Of railroad prov
jected has received pledges of subsidies
from the various parishes In Louisiana
through which II is TO pass, and when
completed will form tho most direct
rail- route from large section OF the
Northwest to a Gulf port, conse-
quently the managers and promoters
Of the work have every reason to de-
sire Its completion at an early date,
and they seem to be heartily In earn.
est. Following is the letter;
OFFICE OF JOHN II. RICE. PREs. Es.orN:o.&)
N. w. II. r., VlcE p. N. o. & II. s. X. II.
Fort Scott, Kans., Feb. 2, 1887.
Editor New Orleans Picayune: l
have not had the pleasure of seeing tho
Picayune. The inclosed slip I cut from
Hot Springs (Ark.) News:
The New Orleans Picayune thinks
Jay Gould's tour of tho South bodies no
good to that city or Southern markets.
It believes his plans are to make all
lines of road controlled by him and all
sections traversed by them tributary to
the Iron Mountain with the view of
building up ST. Louis and Eastern
chief objects of his visit South Is to
ns,lr en f,Nr koI, 1~o
alleling the route OF the Fort Scott road
for the purpose Of discouraging the
construction Of that road IL possible.
It says:
"The Wabash system, which Gould
has enlarged and expanded, has It's
central point at st. Louis, aud all lis
business is made to converge at that
point. The Missouri, Kansas and
Texas and the Iron Mountain lines are
as hostile to New Orleans as any road
could be in every view OF business
management. The Fort Smith road,
said to have been recently acquired, is
simply taken away as feeder for tho
Mississippi River and operated as
feeder to his lines. The same may be
said Of the Helena road, 1t is also
obvious that the branch from tho Iron
Mountain road, now proposed to
Shreveport, Is to make tbat city trib
utary to his system and furnish traffic
for his st. Louis centre.
Mf he Is projecting other longitudinal
lines between the International and
the Missouri, Kansas and Texas they
are simply to occupy the field and
suppress the possibility, or at least
early probability, of great north and
south trunk cline west of the Mississfp~
pi, the whole interest OF which would
be In building up New Orleans as It's
terminal point, and that Is what our
city needs moro than anything else."
II the Picayune Is correctly quoted
| by the News, l wish TO sayithat in my
opinion your view Is emineniIy cor-
rect, Mr.. Gould's interests do not Gems
tire at New Orleans, and the very last
railroad that he wants to see built Is
the projected railroad known as the
NEW ORLEANS, NATCHEz AND FORT
SCOTT RAILROAD.
| This road il built will be direct
route from Topeka, the capital of Kan
sss, across the State OF Arkansas,
North Louisiana via Natchez to New
Orleans. The building OF this road
would be of incalculable benefit to New
Orleans. With this road New Orleans
must become an important point Of
export from the grain of Kansas and
the Northwest.
I The prospects for the building OF the
road are bright and the preliminary
work progressing favorably. The engi-
, neers are now locating the section
, from this city to the Arkansas State
fine-114 miies-and the graders have
, commenced work.
Col. l.. l.. Bush, General Manager,
and myself, propose to visit your city
: soon and make your people acquainted
, with this great scheme, which musl
, bear so much Of good TO your city.
j Respectfully, JOHN Ii. RICE.